Birthing Women’s Concerns Dismissed as ‘Dramatic’ by Healthcare Providers, Fueling systemic Issues
London – A growing body of evidence and personal testimonies reveal a disturbing pattern of dismissal and disbelief directed towards laboring women by healthcare professionals, contributing to a systemic problem rooted in gender and racial bias within the medical field. The issue, termed “obstetric gaslighting” by researchers, sees women’s pain and concerns minimized or outright denied, potentially leading to adverse outcomes and lasting trauma.
The problem extends beyond isolated incidents. Adam Kay, a junior doctor whose candid diary This Is Going to Hurt (2017) became a bestseller, recounts instances of dismissing women’s pain as “naturally” occurring and characterizing advanced labor as “pompously dramatic, squawking geese”1 – a sentiment echoed in Goodreads reviews of his book2. While Kay’s account offers a glimpse into the pressures faced by medical staff,critics argue it also exemplifies a broader tendency to invalidate women’s subjective experiences.
This dismissal isn’t merely anecdotal. Research highlighted by Amani Hossain in The Pain Gap (2021) and the United Nations population Fund (UNFPA) demonstrates disparities in pain management and care for women,especially women of color3. A 2022 study by Pooja Fielding-Singh and Anna dmowska specifically identifies “obstetric gaslighting” as a denial of mothers’ realities4.
Experts point to a ancient and ongoing bias within the healthcare system, which has historically centered around the male body and relegated experiences that don’t fit that model to a “wastebasket of hysteria”5, as detailed by Maya Dusenbery in Doing Harm (2018).This systemic issue impacts diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately, the trust between patients and providers.
Addressing this requires a multi-faceted approach. Advocates emphasize the importance of self-education, empathy, and open conversation. specifically, they urge individuals to: become informed about the issue, listen to the direct experiences of affected women, discuss these issues with friends and family – including mothers – and fundamentally believe women when they describe their own experiences.
references
Kay,A. (2017). This Is Going to Hurt. Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor. London: Picador.
Goodreads’ review of Kay’s book, This Is Going To Hurt (2017). https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35510008-this-is-going-to-hurt
Hossain, A. (2021). The Pain Gap. How Sexism and Racism in Healthcare Kill Women. New York: Tiller Press.
Fielding-Singh P., Dmowska A. (2022), ‘Obstetric gaslighting and the denial of mothers’ realities‘.Soc Sci Med.
Dusenbery, M. (2018). Doing Harm. The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
UNFPA (2023), ‘Maternal Health of Women and Girls of African Descent in the Americas‘, United Nations population Fund.
